The Flamethrowers - Opening Chapters (January 2014)

[Casceil]

The first chapter introduces us to Valera, senior, who will later go on to form a famous motorcycle company which features his invention, the Moto Valera. At this point, however, he is still just a soldier fighting in World War One as part of a motorcycle unit. Based on this quick glimpse of him, what kind of man is he?

[Casceil]

Chapter Two, "Spiritual America," introduces us to the main point of view character, Reno. Well, some of her friends call her Reno. I don't believe we are ever actually told her real name. Reno wants to create Land Art by racing her Moto Valera on the Bonneville salt flats. (See placeholder topic for links on Land Art.)

[Peter]

It's an interesting opening. The two point of view characters live very different lives in very different places in very different times, but yet, they are linked by their love of speed. Valera, Senior strikes me as very pragmatic man, but then, as we find out he was trained as an engineer, and they are a pragmatic lot, by and large (I say this as the son of an engineer, and one who has studied and hung out with engineers himself). Reno, for all of her artistic ambitions, seems to share some of Valera's pragmatism.

[Casceil]

Reno's approach to speed, at least on skis, is very pragmatic. The cleaner the line, the faster your time. This is how she explains it to Sandro.

When I began ski racing, slalom and giant slalom, it was as if I were tracing lines that were already drawn, and the technical challenge that shadowed the primary one, to finish with a competitive time, was to stay perfectly in the lines, to stay early through the gates, to leave no trace, because the harder you set your skis’ metal edges, the bigger wedge of evidence you left, the more you slowed down. You wanted no snow spraying out behind you. You wanted to be traceless. To ride a flat ski as much as possible. The ruts that cut around and under the bamboo gates, deep trenches if the snow was soft, were to be avoided by going high, by picking a high and graceful line, with no sudden swerves or shuddering edges, as I rode the rails to the finish. Ski racing was drawing in time, I said to Sandro. I finally had someone listening who wanted to understand: the two things I loved were drawing and speed, and in skiing I had combined them. It was drawing in order to win.

Kushner, Rachel (2013-04-02). The Flamethrowers: A Novel (Kindle Locations 142-149). Scribner. Kindle Edition.

[Sophia]

This certainly goes some way to explaining her interest in Land Art.

[Lily]

Finally had a chance to start The Flamethrowers this afternoon. Seems as if it will be enjoyable to read. May find the alternate chapters structure a bit irritating, especially with ebook reading -- I'd probably skip ahead a chapter about now to stay with Reno's story for a bit longer, something I find easier to do with the "real book." Being a skier myself, although not a racer, I have observed many a shalom run, so was fascinated by Reno's observations.

It appears that we will be dealing with chapters of uneven lengths, which of course is not unusual for modern novels, especially when not serialized in a periodical. I wonder how much thought writers give to the length of time periods for reading likely to be available for the modern reader. (What do writing schools teach?)

[Daniel]

Lily wrote: "Finally had a chance to start The Flamethrowers this afternoon. Seems as if it will be enjoyable to read. May find the alternate chapters structure a bit irritating, especially wi..."

I'm in very much the same position. Had to start this one as an audiobook, more because I'm trying to squeeze this in while finishing off The Goldfinch. After reading the first chapter or so as a preview from the publisher, I wasn't sure how the prose would work as an audiobook. I'm pleasantly surprised so far. The descriptions of the salt flats are quite astounding and ethereal. There are also plenty of terms and concepts with which I was not at all familiar (such as land art, which was brought up in the intro thread), but Kushner really does a great job of making it all seem intuitive and organic. I'm planning on settling in for an enjoyable ride.

[Sophia]

Daniel wrote: "I wasn't sure how the prose would work as an audiobook. I'm pleasantly surprised so far. "

The prose on the page is intense and almost breathless. Is this how the audio recording comes across?

[Daniel]

Sophia wrote: "The prose on the page is intense and almost breathless. Is this how the audio recording comes across?"

That's a great way to describe the prose. It's what I felt when reading the publisher preview and, yes, it does come across in the audio format. The big drawback, though, is that I can't stop and savour those few turns of phrases which flood the senses with pleasure, but that's a reasonable compromise for being able to fit this book in while we're still reading it as a group.

[Lily]

Daniel wrote: "...savour those few turns of phrases which flood the senses with pleasure..."

I read the book too rapidly to do much savoring either, Daniel. But I agree with your characterization: "phrases which flood the senses with pleasure." I am reading Durrell's The Alexandria Quartet concurrently (a re-read) and both of these authors astound me with the metaphors and similes they are able to conjure -- and each so different.

[LindaJ^]

Now that I am rejoined with the book, I am able to comment and be sure to limit myself to the two opening chapters! Revisiting them is a joy. I did not appreciate the beauty and the compelling nature of the descriptive language on my first read. How did I not remember this -- "I stood for a long time tracking the slow drift of the clouds, great fluffy masses sheared flat along their bottom edges like they were melting on a hot griddle." (page 3) Yup, I've seen those cummulus clouds - it is a perfect description and one that I would never have thought of. And how about the description of the former and soon to be first ladies? "Pat Nixon was from Nevada, like me, and the prim little state bird, so blue against the day. She was a ratted beauty-parlor tough who became first lady. Now we would be likely have Rosalynn Carter with her glassy voice and her big blunt friendly face, glowing with charity. It was Pat who moved me. People who are harder to love pose a challenge, and the challenge makes them easier to love. You're driven to love them. People who want their love easy don't really want love." (Page 4) Can't say I ever thought about First Ladies Nixon and Carter in terms of lovability, but I can say that I never felt anything about Rosalynn Carter but always sort of pitied Pat Nixon.

[April]

I just started reading. Although I've only read through chapter 4, I feel as though I've been hooked. There is A LOT in this book. The prose is beautiful and is worthy of being read either at a much slower pace or read twice....once for the story and once again for the art.

[Casceil]

I'm glad you're enjoying the book. I found myself thinking of it last night, watching the women's slalom run at the Olympics. The passage I quoted at message 4 above matched so well what the TV commentators said about what the skiers should be doing or trying to do, but the Flamethrowers put it so much more poetically.

[April]

Casceil wrote: "I'm glad you're enjoying the book. I found myself thinking of it last night, watching the women's slalom run at the Olympics. The passage I quoted at message 4 above matched so well what the TV c..."

I agree!

[LindaJ^]

Casceil wrote: "I'm glad you're enjoying the book. I found myself thinking of it last night, watching the women's slalom run at the Olympics. The passage I quoted at message 4 above matched so well what the TV c..."

Indeed, Kushner captures not only the technique but the spirit of downhill skiing! I wonder if she skis?